Bon Jovi in 2016--Expectations/Hopes

My thoughts exactly.

Good topic.

I want an album that has some balls to it. It's been too long since the band released an album that had some balls to it and made you feel like it was personal to them. 'Burning Bridges' had some moments. 'A Teardrop To The Sea' is a song that Jon sings with a little bit of passion. Sure, I'd love him to scream 'Oh love pick me up' and various other things but listening to it for the first time made me think that Jon has some passion back.

Same goes 'Who Would You Die For', Jon actually grew some balls for that song and it's good to hear him test himself vocally. It could have been recorded ages ago, it could be recent, I don't know, but I love it.

I want an album that sounds like a band again. I'm loving the rumours that they have gone back to the old studio and are recording the album together. That's what bands should be doing. Adding drums and a keyboard into songs with the space of a day or two is pointless. No chemistry at all.

I'd love a rock album. An album that I can happily play out loud. 'What About Now' is an album I have never ever played out loud apart from the first time I heard it because it'd be embarrassing to play out loud.

I want Jon to get a vocal coach again. He is losing his range more and more and if he doesn't try and get some professional help soon then he will literally have no voice left. Some of the performances from the mini tour they done are shocking to listen too. No upper range whatsoever.

I'd much prefer a solid album than a tour. I love seeing the band live but as previously mentioned, these albums are with you for life. You want to listen to them 20 years later etc... I have no enthusiasm at this current moment for a tour with the state of Jons voice.

Energy is something that needs to be added to the shows. Jon has some moments where he looks energetic again and then others where he doesn't move from the mic stand. I know he is getting older and has had some injuries that may affect him now but I'm not asking him to do cartwheels around the stage.

To sum it up, I want a band with some passion. Jon has had a lot to write about over the past year or two and has said it himself. He must have a lot of anger inside that he needs to take out in the studio. Some raw vocals, shouts, high notes, loud drums, guitar solos, riffs... It's not rocket science for a band. I would love for some of them to happen.

That's a great answer. I agree with pretty much everything you said.

I wonder how limited Jon is physically by his previous injuries/current weaknesses when it comes to running and jumping around on stage? I honestly don't think he lacks enthusiasm for performing.

I imagine he's been told to "take it easy" and "take care of yourself" by his doctors and he knows that if he moves the way he used to tonight, it might cost the crowd the next night the show entirely.

I would rather see the band in a smaller, more intimate venue where he wouldn't feel compelled to make the guy in the 671st row feel like he was part of the show and have a more still Jon who was more focused on his vocals than on his acrobatics anyway.

For Jon to dye his hair

Sorry, had to say it...

I'm on the same page with everyone else.

Tour:
Jon has too many albums to cover to do a shortened set list but that's what I'd like to see. Quality verses Quantity. I still have fun at the shows regardless so I do want a tour but I don't need all the fillers like Capt Crash, Lost Highway, Whole Lotta Leavin, Sleep, etc. I want him to play the 2 new albums and some hits. Even if he has to choke out a ballad, I'll take it.

Album:
I want some old school production and I want the album to sound like a Bon Jovi album. Jon's vocals sounded pretty good on BB and I'm guessing that songs like Teardrop and We Don't Run were recorded at the same time as this new album so I do have high hopes.

I fear despite a new album, my interest in Bon Jovi may fall off a cliff. The Guns n' Roses reunion has me very excited and talk of a new Springsteen album and solo tour later this year will surely draw my attention away from whatever Jon churns out.

That being said;

Album: a disc of tracks in the vein of We Don't Run, Teardrop's and Who Would You Die For. A mix of darker ballads and anthemic rock songs will do nicely. Wouldn't be groundbreaking, but would follow the tried and tested Bon Jovi formula and i'd take that.
The album must contain at the least similar vocal quality to the aforementioned tracks. I found WAN to be inexcusably bad for a studio album.

Tour: Wholeheartedly agree with the quality not quantity comments. Play less but attempt to nail them best he can.
I'm not expecting improved vocals from what we've heard over the last year or two, you can tell vocally there is little room for improvement, his voice is simply shot in comparison to even 2011.

Not sure if anyone's posted this but a couple of websites over the last few days have detailed March for the release.
http://www.music-news.com/news/UK/94...-for-new-album

Nothing new but it had gone quiet since Burning Bridges was released. The PR machine could be slowly starting to move.

I agree with a lot of what's been posted here. However, I have to disagree with the love that "We Don't Run" gets on this board. To me, it's a decent tune but just another tired rehash of stuff like IML, Everyday, WWBTF, HAND etc and I certainly don't want stuff like that on the new album. It's a bunch of empty rhetoric and cliches. Teardrop, WWYDF, Blind Love and Fingerprints have far more substance.

JBJ probably dont want to admit it (although he must know it) but this is the most important album they have released for years, since Crush maybe, as its the first album with no Richie.

If its poor and received poorly then that could spell the end of the band.

That's actually a really great point.

Unfortunately, we live in a world were albums don't sell anymore (Adele is a fluke), rock music is no long mainstream and doesn't even offer a radio station here in Jersey anymore, and Jon is now over the hill so his looks and charm might not work in his favor like they used to.

With that said, Jon's got some obstacles to tackle right out of the gate.

Try 105.5; WDHA the Rock of New Jersey.